1. Technical Communications Major
Focus in Interactive Media Production
Core Classes and Skills learned:
 Basic Interactive Production
- In addition to basic project production, topics include characteristics,
development, and documentation of individual media elements such as text,
graphics, audio, animation, video, and interactivity. Information architecture,
message design and project documentation are covered as integrated and integral
components of the production process.
- Final project consisted of all pre-production documents for the end product of a
basic website that is both easy to navigate and completely accessible.
 Intermediate Interactive Production
- In addition to intermediate project production, topics include information
architecture, message design, project documentation, critical website evaluation,
usability testing, visual communication, and universal design (accessibility).
Production team roles and responsibilities are also covered.
- Final project consisted of multiple pre-production documents, one for a mock
website and another for a website created by the students. The final website was
fully responsible, completely accessible, adhered to usability testing and followed
a specific message design.
 Advanced Interactive Production
- Advanced topics include communication, collaboration, and community building
in Web 2.0; an in-depth exploration of virtual environments: web-based
applications and critical analyses of new media technology. Students produce
several advanced-level interactive media projects.
- The main project in this class was for a group of 3-5 students work with a non-
profit organization and help improve their online media. This could be anything
from social media, websites, galleries, exposure and if needed donations. My
group with the organization called the CancerFitness Institute and we created a
whole new website as well as a content and social media campaign. We
effectively provided them more exposure through social media and a new website
that was much more user-friendly that also provided a much more welcoming and
community based experience.
 Writing for Interactive Production
- This course covered the techniques of designing and writing for interactive media,
which includes online, fixed, mobile, and social media. The student will create
content with outlines, storyboards, flowcharts and a variety of preproduction
documents.

2.  Media Graphics Production
- Course work consisted of producing numerous computer graphics, both raster and
vector, which can be used in electronic presentations, interactive programs, Web
sites, videos, and printed publications. Basic graphic design principles including
color theory, typography, visual hierarchy, etc., was examined. The emphasis was
placed on optimizing file sizes and image repurposing techniques.
- Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator were the primary programs used to create
the computer graphics as listed above.
 Computer Animation
- Traditional animation techniques and the planning and production of computer
animation. The course focused on techniques used to create 2D objects and
animate them in order to communicate a professional message. Numerous
computer animations were created to be viewed on the Internet.
- Adobe Flash (now Adobe Animation) was the primary tool used to create 2D
animations and presentations. Basic 3D modeling was done in the programs
called Blender.
 Communication Law
- This course presented U.S. legal practices that impact professional
communicators and technical media producers. It placed special emphasis on the
federal and state court systems, as well as emerging international laws for
communication delivered over the Internet. The course covered copyright, fair
use, defamation, intellectual property, privacy, and federal trade regulations as
applied to print and digital media in physical and electronic distribution.
- Multiple topics were given for two research papers that consisted of
communication law, specifically Internet communication. The class was also split
up in teams to debate ongoing cases involving communication law. One group
was assigned as the prosecutor and the other group the defendant. Each group had
to research and bring in evidence to help their case within the classroom debate.
 Audio Production
- This course provided a strong foundation in digital audio technology. Topics
include: Physics of Sound; Human Hearing and Perception; Critical Music
Education; Voice Recording; and Audio Production Equipment.
- Projects in this class included live audio recording, mixing, sound design for
visual, and foley for visual through sound design and recording.
 Social Documentary
- This course placed emphasis upon stories that deal with cultural definitions that
impact social change and the marriage between text and image.
- This class consisted of going on location and shooting a documentary of our
choosing. The documentary was shot in Crowley County, Colorado about their
water shortages through water rights and how this has impacted their daily lives.
Experience gained from this project include: writing, photography, video
photography, video editing, audio recording and mixing, and the whole process of
bring out a true compelling story that would be interesting for an audience.